Pillars of Jewish Environmental Awareness

Your green promises:

Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Oliver Marcus, London >> Stop wasting resources, Ness Backs, New York >> Consume more plant-based foods, Chana Tzi, L.A., Ca., USA >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetables, Holly Weisfeld, Herts >> Cycle one a day if not more, Jamie Cooper, Harts >> Visit a lot of eco-sites, Maria Kamutzki, Berlin >> I won't litter, Joel Austin, Pinner >> Be more eco friendly, Connor Buchalter, Hatch End >> Re-use water bottles so less waste, David, Middx >> I won't waste water anymore, Ben Green, Hach End >> Help my dad recycle everyday, Phoebe Decker, Northwood >> Turn electrical things off when I have finished using them, Talia Austin, Pinner >> Not to waste food, Joshua Roson, Rickmansworth >> Eat fairtrade chocolate, Josie Sacks, Pinner >> Bike/walk to places not to far away, Zoe Buchalter, Hatch End >> Recycle plastic bags when I go shopping, Sophie Scholl, Moor Park >> Take and re-use our own plastic bags when we go shopping, Cass Family, Harrow >> Not waste paper, Jed Gaffin, Northwood >> Walk to school more, Lea Abrahams, Pinner >> To be more careful with water, Max Abrahams, Pinner >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Ellie Roston, Rickmansworth >> Try and ride my bike as much as I can, Zack Bluestone, Stanmore >> Walk to from school everyday, Meiron Avidan, Stanmore >> Use tap water instead of bottled, Rianna Roston, Earth >> Turn everything off, not leave it on standby, Lewis Decker, Northwood >> Put my rubbish in the bin, Aron Bhalla, Harrow >> I will put my rubbish in the bin, Seth Bhalla, Harrow >> I will not watch the same thing as my brother on a different TV, Ilana Braham, Northwood >> Our family will walk to places if it is less than 2miles, the Garland family, Pinner >> Don't use sandwich bags for packed lunch, David Braham, Northwood >> Switch off lights when I am not using them, Matthew Rodin, London >> To walk and get the train more, Steph Leigh, Watford >> Not to litter and put rubbish in the bin, Jacob Lauder, Harrow >> Help put out the recycling more, Rachel Bard, Hertfordshire >> To put my cans in a recycle bin, Hannah Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Walk to the bus stop, Matti Brooks, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Gemma Black 5B, Hertfordshire >> I pledge to water my plants with a watering can and not waste water, Gemma Black 5B, Hertfordshire >> Make more things e.g sculptures instead of just putting them in the bin, Minnie Diamond, Bushey >> I shall turn off lights and T.V. when not needed on, Harrry Rubin, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Harry Rubin 5 Beech, Herts, London >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Katie Moss, Radlett >> Only flush the chain when I need to, Hannah Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Cycle one a day if not more, Jamie Cooper, Harts >> Ride on my bike at least once a day, Sophie Pollock, Borehamwood, Herts >> Grow my own fruit and vegetables in the garden, Isabelle Copeland, Bushey >> Don't leave lights on, Rebecca A, Herts >> Use energy efficent light bulbs!, Dov Colman, Borhamwood >> Not use the car for short journeys, Josh Zucker, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Jake Murray, Borehamwood >> To not leave the shower running!, Lauren Seres, Herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Tyler Freedman, Bushey >> Do more recycling and help my mum sort out the waste, Maddie Freedman, Bushey >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Joseph White, Radlett, Herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Zoe Klein, Hertfordshire >> turn off the plugs in my bedroom, Oliver Rothstein, Adlenham, herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Nina Freedman, Borehamwood >> Take showers instead of baths, Harry Singler, Bushey >> Recycle my household waste, Harry Black, Bushey >> Recycle my household waste, Mrs Myers, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Daniel Simmons, Radlett >> Not to turn lights on if it is not neeeded, Etienne Dean, Borehamwood >> Not use the car for short journeys, Leah Gorb, Bushey >> Use bits of junk around the house to make something & to not throw it in the bin, Sophie Pollock >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Natalie Maurer, Hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Rebecca Selt, Radlett >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Avital Cohen, Borehamwood >> Recycle my household waste, Max Bean, Bushey >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, Talia N, Hertfordshire >> Recycle my household waste, Leanne Rosner, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Leanne Rosner, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Kezia Blakeley, Hertfordshire >> Don't buy herbs if you can grow them, Emily Sterman, Hertfordshire >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, Joshua Silver, Radlett >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Ella Kosmin, St Albans >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Ella Green, Borehamwood >> Replace two light bulbs in my house with energy efficient light bulbs, Jacqueline Sefton, Bushey >> Take showers instead of baths, Sophie Hyman, Borehamwood, Herts >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Joshua, Herts >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Benjamin Isaac, Herts >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Abby Rosen, Elstree >> Replace two light bulbs in my house with energy efficient light bulbs, Amanda Finestone, Borehamwood >> Try to have a shower instead of a bath and will not sing in the shower for too long, Sadie, Hertfordshire >> Cycle at least once a day, Jamie Cooper, Borehamwood >> Re-use plastic bags when shopping, holly, herts >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Michelle Hertz, Stanmore >> Start growing my own herbs and vegetable, nicola weisfeld, hertfordshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Jack Glazer, Bushey >> Turn lights off when I leave a room, Jack Glazer, Bushey >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Holly Weisfeld, Hertfortshire >> Turn the TV off and not leave it on standby, Joshua Collins, Hertfordshire >> Eat less meat, Stephen Scott, London >> Turn the tap off when I brush my teeth, Hannah, London >> Continue to educate myself and others in ways of taking care of our earth, Raven Moon, Connecticut >> Try to live on less and take pleasure in the effort, Erich Connell, Greenville, NC >> I will be a vegertarian on a weekly basis, Lee-Ann, Tauyuan, Taiwan >> I promise to make sure all recyclable items go in the recycling and not in the bin, Lara Gordon, London >> I will try to keep recycling my clothes and not buy too many new ones, L.Bratter, North London >> I promise to recycle by altering my clothes, Anita Lancet, London >>

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Pillars of Jewish Environmental Awareness

Thousands of years before the word “environmentalism” was coined, Jewish tradition paid attention to taking care of the earth and treating animals with compassion. Thousands of years before the first landfill appeared, the Torah was teaching Jews not to waste anything. Earth care has always been important in Judaism, partly because nature is so integral to Jewish life. Nature imagery fills our prayers and enhances many of our holiday celebrations. Our rabbis of old recognized that they could better understand the Creator by observing creation. To this end, they spent many hours in the outdoors-- watching the sun rise and set, noting the phases of the moon, delighting in the changing of the seasons.

The pillars of Jewish environmental awareness are rooted in Judaism’s cosmological beliefs (beliefs about how the world was created) and expressed as halacha (Jewish law) in the Torah and Talmud, our “written” and “oral” traditions. There are eight fundamental beliefs that govern Jewish environmental awareness. These are:

1. The Belief in the Oneness of God

The most basic belief of Judaism is the belief in one God. This belief is made the central prayer of the Jewish worship service, the Shema: Listen Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One. The first of the Ten Commandments tells us that there is only one true God and that we are not to worship false gods. So, too, Judaism tells us that this Oneness is evident in the inter-connectedness of the natural world. Science describes the interconnectedness as “ecology.”

2. God is the “Owner” of the World

Judaism views God as the rightful owner of the world. Leviticus (25:23) states this explicitly, The Land shall not be sold for eternity; for the land is mine and you are but strangers journeying with Me.” We are also the caretakers of this world, a responsibility assigned to all humans the moment God placed Adam in the Garden of Eden to “Work and protect” (avdah u-shomrah) it. We have a right to use any of its resources but this right is tempered by our responsibility to protect these resources for use by all future generations.

3. God Created the World with Intent and Purpose

Jewish tradition tells us that God created the universe with purpose. Nothing was created by “accident” or without a reason. A traditional Jewish story makes this point beautifully. Midrash Bereshit Rabbah (10:7) - Even though you may think them superfluous in this world, creatures such as flies, bugs and gnats have their allotted task in the scheme of creation, as it says, ‘And God saw everything that God had made, and behold, it was very good’ (Genesis 1:31).

4. Earth Stewardship the Responsibility of the Individual

Like most of the Torah’s commandments, taking care of the earth is made the responsibility of the individual. Earth stewardship is not made the responsibility of political parties, environmental movements or religious organizations. According to a traditional Jewish story, this point was made dramatically clear by God to the first man and woman. Midrash Ecclesiastes Rabbah (7:13) - When God created Adam, God led him around all of the trees in the Garden of Eden. God told him, ‘See how beautiful and praiseworthy are all of my works. Everything I have created has been created for your sake. Think of this and do not corrupt the world; for if you corrupt it, there will be no one to set it right after you.’

5. Baal Tashchit -- Prohibitions against Waste

Called bal tashchit in Hebrew, this commandment is the basis of the prohibition against wasting or destroying anything needlessly. The prohibition is found in Deuteronomy (20:19-20), When in your war against a city you have to besiege it for a long time in order to capture it, you must not destroy (bal tashchit) its fruit trees. . . You may eat of them but you must not destroy the fruit trees. Later Jewish thinkers explained that bal tashchit applies to every person all of the time, encompassing the prohibitions against using more of something than is necessary, using something in a way it is not intended to be used and using something of greater value when something of lesser value could be used.

6. Tzaar Ba’alei Hayyim -- Prohibition against Causing Animals Unnecessary Pain

Called tzaar ba’alei hayyim in Hebrew, this prohibition tells us not to cause animals any unnecessary physical or emotional pain. So important is this prohibition that it appears in several places throughout the Torah, one such being Deuteronomy (22:6-7) - If, on your way, you happen upon a bird’s nest in a tree or on the ground, with baby birds or eggs in it, do not take the mother with her young. Drive away the mother and take only the young. This way you will live a long life.

7. Shabbat and Sabbatical Years -- Land Rest and Renewal

Land rest and renewal are concepts that appear in the Torah in conjunction with instructions on how to care of the Land of Israel. The earth is to rest once a week on Shabbat and every seventh year, called the Sh’mitah or Sabbatical year. The instructions regarding the Sabbatical year are found in Leviticus (25:3-4) - Six years you may sow your field and six years you may prune your vineyard and gather in the field. But in the seventh year the land shall have a sabbath of complete rest, a sabbath of the Lord: you shall not sow your field or prune your vineyards.

8. Earth Stewardship is a Personal Commitment

Observing the mitzvot of earth stewardship is a personal commitment. It is not a commitment that depends on a grass-roots party or a supportive political system. Like almost all of the mitzvot in the Torah, it is the responsibility of the individual to perform regardless of what others are doing. Ultimately, Jewish tradition believes that the individual who performs the mitzvot with joy will have a positive effect on those who do not. Ultimately this is the lesson we learn from Abraham’s role in bringing monotheism to the world.

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